Variable-speed control for the transmission of power



May 29, 1945. At E. JOHNSON 2,377,013

VARIABLE SPEEDI CONTROL FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF POWER Filed Feb. 25, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 29, 1945. V A. E. JOHNSON 2,377,013

VARIABLE SPEED CONTROL FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF POWER Filed Feb. 25, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 29, 1945 UNITED4 STATES PATENT OFFICE VARIABLE-SPEED CONTROL FOR. THE TRANSMISSION OF POWER Application February 25, 1943, Serial No. 477,175

2 Claims. (Cl. 74-286) This invention relates to a variable speed control for the transmission of power and is in the nature of an improvement on the Anton Einar Johnson, United States Letters Patent No. 2,218,712, issued October 22, l940,and entitled Variable speed control for the transmission of power.

It is an`object of this invention to provide a highly eflicient and relatively simple speed control that may be operated to hold its .power output memberf in an idle or neutral position or operated to drive said output member either for- -ward or in reverse from neutral position at a rate of speed that progressively increases.

To the above end the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the dawings: l

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved speed control;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in end elevation and partly in transverse vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig.

Fig. 4 isa fragmentary view corresponding to the right hand portion of Fig. 3, but somewhat its outer end relative to the housing 8, by a universal joint II. This shaft I0, at its intermediate portion, is journaled in ball bearings I2 mounted in an aperture in the front end member of the housing 8. A pinion I3 is mounted on the inner end portion of the shaft I0, within the housing 8, and secured thereto by a key I4 for common rotation therewith.

The pinion I3 meshes with a pair of opposing gears l5 and I6 at diametrically opposite points. These gears I5 and I6 are secured by keys I1 to the inner end portions of a pair of oppositely projecting axially aligned shafts I8 and I9, respectively. At their intermediate portions the shafts I8 `and I9 are journaled in ballbearings 20 mounted in apertures in the side members of the housing 8. An automatic compensating pulley 2| and a manually adjustable variable speed pulley 22 are mounted on the outer end portions of the shafts I8 and I9, respectively, outwardly of the housing 8. Each pulley 2| and 22 has. a single V-shaped groove.

The automatic compensating pulley 2| includes a relatively xed member 23 having'an outwardly projecting hub 24 secured by a set screw 25 to the shaft I8 for common rotation therewith. This compensating pulley further includes a relatively movable member 26 having a hub 21 mounted on the hub 24 for relative sliding movement. A key 28 and cooperating keyway 29 hold the pulley member 26 for common rotation with the pulley member 23 and hence the shaft |8. An abutment 30, in the form of a disk, is secured to the hub 24, at its outer end, by screws 3| and extends radially outwardly of said hub. A coiled spring 32 encircling the hubs 24 and 21 is compressed between the pulley member 26 and the abutment 30 and under strain to slide said pulley member axially toward the pulley member 23.

'I'he variable speed pulley 22 includes a relatively fixed member 33 having an outwardly projecting hub 34 mounted on the shaft I8 and secured thereto by a key 35 for common rotation therewith. This pulley 22 further includes a.

relatively movable member 36 having an outwardly projecting hub 31 mounted on the hub 34and connected thereto by screw-threads 38 for axial adjustment toward or from the pulley member 33. A set screw 39 having threaded engagement with the hub 31 impinges against the hub 34 and holds the pulley\mernber 36 when adjusted relative to the pulley member 33.

Referring now to the output unit of the improved speed control the numeral 40 indicates a pair ofdiametrically opposite differential compensating pinions that mesh with a pair of axially driving pinions 4I and 42. These pinions 4| and 42 having long tubular hubs 43 and 44, rev spectively, that project outwardly in opposite dlrections and are turnably mounted on a driven shaft 45. The hubs 43 and 4-4 are journaled in ball bearings 46 secured in apertures in the side members of the housing 8 and project outwardly thereof. The compensating pinions 40 are loosely journaled on a pair of oppositely axially aligned stub shafts 41 rigidly secured at their in- Vmatic compensating pulley 2i.

ner ende to the shaft 4E, as indicated at 48, and project radially therefrom. Thrust bearing 49 for the compensating pinions Ml and Bl are mounted on the stub shafts 4l between the hubs of said pinions and a collar 5d fixed to said shafts. The pinions il and 62 and the adjacent end portions of the hubs i3 and da are journaled on sleeve bearings 5i on the shaft t5.

A variable speed pulley 52 is mounted on the outer end portion of the hub it for common rotation therewith and aligned with the auto- This pulley 52 comprises a relatively fixed member 53 and a relatively movable member 5G. The pulley member d3 has a relatively large hub section 5B on which the hub 5l of the pulley member is slid- 'ably mounted. A screw t@ secures the pulley 52 a to the hub d3 and extends through a slot 59 in the hub 5i and permits the required axial sliding movement of the pulley member 54 relative to the pulley member 53. The hub ELat its outer end, is closed by a cap B@ and covers the' adjacent ends of the hub d3, shaft d5 and hub section 5d.

A screw ti is provided for manually adjusting' the pulley member 5d toward the pulley member and for holding the pulley member 5d against atrial movement away from the pulley member 53. This screw Si has on its inner end a truncated conical member d2 which works in a correspondingly `formed seat @t in the cap E@ at the center thereof. .d hand wheel @d is secured to the screw Si on the outer end thereof. The screw Si is mounted in and has screw threaded engagement with a hub on a bracket 65 secured to the base plate l. A V-shaped belt t6 runs over the aligned pulleys 2l and di.

A. pulley Gl having a V-shaped groove ismounted on the hub de outwardly of the housing 8 and aligned with the variable speed pulley 22. The pulley Si is secured to the hub ed for common rotation therewith by a set screw SS having threaded engagement with the hub of said pulley and impinges against the hub 4d. A V-shaped belt S9 runs over the aligned pulleys 26 and 61 mounted on the shaft d5 outwardly of the hub M is a stepped output pulley 1t having V-shaped grooves and secured by a set screw li to said shaft for common rotation therewith.

In some instances it might be desirable to mount f the electric motor 5 directly on the housing il4 i means of the hand wheel i3d, the travel of the belt 66,relative to the travel of the belt 69, may be adjusted so that said belts drive the oppositely turning pinions li and d2 at the same rate of speed and hence no motion is imparted to the shaft i5 and the output pulley lil is idle or in neutral position. The position of the belt t5 on the pulley 52, when the output pulley it is in neutral position may also, for the sake of convenience, be termed neutral position. When the asr'aoie belt 66 is in neutral position the pulley 52 may be adjusted to decrease its diameter and thereby change theratio of the relative rate of speed at which the pinions 4| and 42 turn and thereby drive the output pulley l0 forwardly. 'I'he rate of speed at which the output pulley 10 turns may start from zero and be progressively increased up to top speed. Orby adjusting the pulley 52, when the belt 66 is in neutral position, t0 increase its diameter the ratio of the relative rate of speed at which the pinions 4I and 42 turn will be changed and thereby drive the output pulley It in reverse. When the output pulley l0 is driven in reverse the rate of speed may start from zero and be progressively increased to top reverse speed.

It will be understood that the invention described is capable of various modifications within the scope of the invention herein disclosed and claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, a pair of driving shafts, a power input for rotating said shafts `in opposite directions, a pulley on each of said shafts, one 0f which is an automatic compensating V-pulley, a driven power output shaft, a pair of loose pulleys on the driven shaft, one of which is an adjustable variable speed V-pulley aligned with the compensating pulley, reversely acting operating connections including diierential compensating elements from the pulleys on the driven shaft to said shaft, a V-belt arranged to run over the aligned compensating and variable speed V-pulleys, a. second belt arranged to run over the other two pulleys, said compensating pulley being under strain to move the V-belt outwardly thereon, and means for adjusting the variable speed pulley to move the V-belt outwardly thereon and thereby draw said belt inwardly on the compensating pulley, adjustment of the variable speed pulley to permit the V-belt to move inwardly thereon will permit the automatic compensating pulley to move said belt outwardly thereon and thereby draw 'said belt inwardly on the'variable speed pulley.

2. In a device of the class described, a pair of driving shafts, a power input for rotating said l shafts in opposite directions, a pulley on each of said shafts, one of which is an automatic compensating V-pulley comprising relatively fixed and movable members, a driven power output shaft,

' a pair of loose pulleys on the driven shaft, one

of which is an adjustable variable speed V-pulley aligned with the compensating pulley, reverselyacting operating connections including differential elements from the pulleys on the driven shaft to said shaft, a V-belt arranged to run over the aligned compensating and variable speed V-pulleys, a second belt arranged to run over the other two pulleys, yielding means under strain to move the movable member of the compensating pulley toward the fixed member thereof and thereby move the V-belt outwardly on the compensating pulley and draw the same inwardly on the variable speed pulley, and means for moving the'movable member of the variable speed pulley toward the fixed member thereof and thereby move the V-belt outwardly on the variable speed pulley and draw the same inwardly on the compensating pulley. A

JUNE H. JOHNSON, Administratrz'a: of the Estate of Anton Einar Johnson, Deceased. 

